Another successful year in the books

A young farmer entrepreneur completed his third year raising poinsettias.  We stay in constant contact during the growing season with his tobacco plants which leads right into planting his poinsettias in the middle of August.  

During the first two years of growing we ran into issues with Pythium root rot that I diagnosed on site with a DINOLITE.  After reviewing his production practices and working with the UK Plant Pathologist t we narrowed down the causes:  contamination from the ground, even though he had vegetable tarp down, next was that the roots were being injured due to high salts ppm and this was diagnosed with using a DIST 4 meter.  During his second year of growing I also found the larvae of the white fly in the stem of his plants that we were able to control once we had the recommendations from UK Entomology Specialists.  This year, late in the season, a couple weeks before the plants were to leave the farm, he had another problem show up.  After pictures of the plants, DINOLITE pictures of the root mass, and a complete history of his agronomic practices and knowledge of climate sent to the Plant Pathology Specialists, we determined that because it became much cooler and the plants needed less water, but the same amount of fertilizer was being added each time.  

As he said, ‘I’ll finally find all the things that could wrong, and I can master this only with the help of the Extension Service.’  To start into a new enterprise, going from a row crop, cattle and tobacco farmer to a diversified crop enterprise has be challenging be he is always up for the challenge.   We are now researching adding other crops such as mums.  

Marketing is the key to the success of any enterprise.  He has increased his production every year and is working with schools, whether FFA or HOSA or Project Graduation organizations to market the poinsettias, and that was a very smart way to market in 4 different counties.

The grower was able to sell 3000 plants this year, but making a total sell out is our goal for 2020.